DANNY WELBECK could be set for action again in 2016 after an exploratory procedure on his knee revealed the healing process is months ahead of schedule.

The Arsenal striker damaged his cartilage in the penultimate game of last season against Manchester City and missed the European Championships as a result.

A statement released by the club in May initially suggested his lay-off would stretch until February next year and yesterday manager Arsene Wenger implied that if things had not been progressing as well as hoped then April could have been a more realistic target.

But having lost Aaron Ramsey for three weeks with Per Mertesacker already out for four months and Gabriel for eight weeks, there was at least a bit of positive news from the medical team.

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“He has an inflammation of his knee and they had to go in again to see if it is healing well or not,” Wenger said. “If the healing was not good, he would have been out until April, but the news was excellent and he will be back around Christmas.

“He had a second check with a camera inside. That was the good news of last week, the only good news. That was very positive.”

Wenger admits he may “gamble” by rushing Laurent Koscielny back from his rest after the Euros to cover his central defensive crisis.

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But even though the long-running attempt to sign Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia remains stalled over the difference in valuations, Wenger was adamant he would definitely recruit another centre-back to join “one for the future” Rob Holding before the transfer window closes on August 31.

“If Mertesacker and Gabriel had not been injured in pre-season, we would have been less under pressure to sign a defender, but once you are under pressure, everybody knows you are so it makes you weaker,” he said.

“We have been in the market a long time but if you look around in Europe, all my friends I call are all looking for centre-backs but they cannot find them.

“We have no limit in age. If it is a guy of 32 and we think he has the quality then we will do it. Do I think we will sign a defender? Yes.”